Knowledge is an interesting subject. When I read, I don't remember the exact order of words. Especially in the age of Google, we have a choice of what to burden our memory with and what to leave to Google. Are names and dates important? What's important is to have models of how things work in your mind. It is through the process of reading that we develop and refine these models.
Approximate dates are important to find connections with other contemporary events, and more broadly to put things into the context of the prevailing culture at the time.
